Keep up to date on all the latest from your Bluesfest!

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Last week’s announcement was described as one 'to tick off the bucket list' for many fans of Brian Wilson, who cannot wait to see the legendary musician perform Pet Sounds in it's entirety live at Bluesfest on Easter Monday, as well as his greatest hits. Are you one of the many Brian Wilson fans? We sure are!

The big news got a lot of you talking and the Australian media too, take a look at some of the highlights below!

In other Bluesfest news, the 2015 festival was nominated for a prestigious Pollstar Award for International Music Festival of the Year, keep reading below to find out more about this great honour!

And for those of you, who have not yet purchased tickets, as we continue to roll out announcements the demand for tickets is on the rise and so are the prices, so get in now and save yourself some money on your Easter experience of a lifetime!

A special Christmas Time to pay is now available which will give you the perfect present in time for Christmas. More info on this great offer further down! Please note that this offer is only available until Monday 16th of November.

Of course please also check out our updated playing schedule below to help you chose your days for the musical feast that awaits you next Easter! (Don't forget the 5 day ticket is the easiest pick, as it includes ALL days and is by far the most valuable ticket $$$ wise).

PLAYING SCHEDULE

To make your Bluesfest experience easier and more enjoyable, we have updated our playing schedule to a new look and also have revised our artist profile page to an A-Z format, so you can easily find out more about the artists announced for Bluesfest so far! Click on the links below and see for yourself!

2016 Lineup Announced so far!

A message from the Festival Director, Peter Noble…

…Last week we were so proud to be able to announce Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds, in the year he has had an amazing return to prominence. The release of the movie ‘Love & Mercy’ has reminded many of the story of this true genius, whilst introducing another generation to his greatness.

Brian Wilson loves to present his songs to the world through his truly magnificent band – take a look at the review in the Sydney Morning Herald for his performance of Pet Sounds when he toured Australia in 2002; READ THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD REVIEW FROM BERNARD ZUEL HEREThis is going to be so special.

On another note, we are presenting the very best artists of the new soul movement at Bluesfest 2016. They are Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, St. Paul & The Broken Bones and Allen Stone. These younger artists have gone back and re-discovered the classic southern soul and stax music of the 60’s and 70’s, and are on a crusade to bring them back today – it’s gaining huge momentum in the US and UK – and we are proud at Bluesfest to be bringing a number of the bands here. One thing they all have in common are great high energy shows, just like their mentors, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett etc. If you are a fan of this music, please take the time to check out their clips on their bio pages on the Bluesfest website. You won’t be disappointed, and will see why we are so excited to be having them coming to Bluesfest 2016.

We are also very excited to be having the reigning 2015 contemporary Blues female artist of the year plus the winner of song of the year – at the Blues Awards – the amazing Janiva Magness. Add in Lucky Peterson (2 nominations), Taj Mahal (3 nominations/2 wins), The Tedeschi Trucks Band (6 nominations/6 wins), Joe Bonamassa (25 nominations/2 wins) – and you really do have the cream of the Blues artists performing at Bluesfest 2016.

We still have plenty of artists to announce and tickets are selling fast.

So, get ‘em while you can – the price is right – but will keep going up over the coming weeks, as the Festival comes closer!

Thank you,

PETER NOBLE
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Social, forum and media highlights…

With Brian Wilson and The Residents added this morning, this @BluesfestByron bill is as good as any fest on the planet (probably better) - Dan Condon (Double J Music Editor)

The drip feed of Bluesfest artists continues to blow minds, with the festival this morning announcing another raft of legendary artists for their 2016 event. Leading the pack is one of the true legends in the history of music, the incomparable Brian Wilson.. DOUBLE J

With a list already boasting big names such as Kendrick Lamar, The National, Noel Gallagher and City and Colour, it would be forgiven for those over at Bluesfest headquarters to simply fold their arms and smugly stand alongside their impressive 2016 line-up. Not the case… ROLLING STONE AUSTRALIA

Having already announced a raft of contemporary superstars, organisers have now added a stack of bonafide legends to the bill. TONEDEAF

There are more artist announcements scheduled to drop in the coming weeks, but the 2016 festival is already looks pretty damn impressive FASTERLOUDERWith Kendrick Lamar and The National atop the bill Bluesfest 2016 was already looking good but now it’s just gotten that much better with the addition of a handful of legends. MUSIC FEEDS

If Byron Bay Bluesfest hadn't already achieved their apparent goal of making 2016 an event for the history books, it's more than met that potential now... THE MUSIC

Wilson is easily among the most decorated musicians to enter Bluesfest's history THE MUSIC

This is, of course, all in addition to the eye-popping array of other acts and attractions on offer at Bluesfest 2016 THE MUSIC

Bluesfest has signed Wilson when his career continues to be on the up with a series of well-reviewed solo albums and tours. GOLD COAST BULLETIN

@TheLoneRanger Fantastic news. Brian Wilson performing Smile with the 19 piece Swedish Band was magnificent. Now we have Pet Sounds. I will be in the front row. Thank you Peter Noble.

POLLSTAR AWARD NOMINATION FOR BLUESFEST!

Bluesfest’s 2015 festival was nominated for a Pollstar Award in the category of International Music Festival of the Year. The Pollstar nomination marks the sixth time Bluesfest has been nominated for the prestigious award and the fourth year running, an incredible feat that we are very proud of!

Bluesfest Festival Director said of the nomination;“It’s been a great week at Bluesfest, I have to say I am a Brian Wilson tragic, I’ve seen the movie about his life Love & Mercy three times now and to be bringing him to Australia to play Bluesfest performing Pet Sounds is a ‘pinch me I must be dreaming moment’.

Then to be nominated in the Pollstar Awards for the fourth year in a row in the category for International Music Festival of the Year is simply one of those moments in a career that you just go wow and thank you to our peers in the Industry who have voted for us so far. We are up against the Glastonbury Festival every year, so it is going to be pretty hard to win however we will give it a go, just like real Aussie battlers, we will never give up.”

Winners will be announced at the 27th Annual Pollstar Awards to be held on 12th February 2016 at the SF Masonic auditorium in San Francisco.

Christmas ‘Time to pay’

This offer is available for a short time only - it expires this coming Monday, 16th of November.

It’s all about 3 easy fortnightly payments over the next 4 weeks to secure your tickets in time for Christmas.

Bluesfest tickets make the best Christmas presents and you can purchase them without leaving your house or office.

Added bonus: Purchasing your tickets now, means you get them at the current price. By the time you have paid them off (before Christmas), even more artists will have been announced and further price increases put in place.